Method of and apparatus for operating on shoes



v April 9 B. JORGENSEN 2,154,453

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR OFERATINWON SHOES Original Filed Oct. 12, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 18, 1939. B. JORGENSEN METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR OPERATING ON SHOES Original Filed Oct. 12, 1937 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 I I u I\IIII //02 //6' //0/ April 18, 1939. B. JORGENSEN 2,154,453

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR OPERATINGJON SHOES Original Filed O ct. 12/1957 5 Sheets-Sheet s I MAAT April 18, 1939.

B. JORGENSEN METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR OPERATING 0N SHOES Original Filed Oct. 12, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 April 18, 1939. B. JORGENSEN METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR OPERATING ON SHOES 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Original Filed 001;. 12, 1937 A VE/V 7UP.

'Patented Apr. 18, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR OPERAT- ING ON SHOES Bernhardt Jorgensen, Marblehead, Mass., assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Paterson, N. .l., a corporation of New Jersey Application 32 Claims.

This invention relates to methods of and apparatus for operating on the toes of partially fabricated shoes to prepare them for lasting with cement as the medium for securing the overlaid margins of the uppers to the insoles.

According to certain practices in lasting some types of womens shoes, for example, that disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 1,815,296, granted July 21, 1931, on application of George Goddu, a shoe may be side-lasted with staples, after which the toe may be lasted with cement. To prepare the toe for such lasting the preferred practice is to. out off a strip of the unlasted margin of the inner layers of material including a lining and a toe-stiffener that would, if not severed, mask the margin of the toe end of the insole when the toe of the upper is lasted, and thus prevent the overwiped margin of the upper from being bonded directly to the insole with cement. For the sake of brevity the term box is used herein to mean the same as toestifiener, and the term lining is intended to include an interposed layer of woven fabric, commonly termed doubler, that usually lies between an upper and a. box.

The advantages in severing a strip from the margin of the inner layers comprising the lining and the box are so generally appreciated that virtually all shoes to be toe-lasted with cement are so prepared, even though, in many shoefactories, toe-lasting operators are required to do the severing wtih a knife held in the hand while the shoes are jacked in toe-lasting machines.

The present invention provides not only an improved machine for performing the severing operation above described, but also improvements in methods of preparing and lasting shoes which have special advantages with respect to shoes provided with thermoplastic boxes.

According to the method herein set forth, the invention provides for turning out the unlasted toe-margin of the upper to unmask the corresponding margin of the inner layers, heating a narrow band of the box coextensive with the perimeter of the insole sufficiently to .melt the thermoplastic impregnant therein, heating to a lesser degree the lasting margin of the upper and the corresponding margin of the insole, severing a strip from the unlasted margin of the inner layers while the heating operation is in progress, app-lying lasting cement such as latex to the heated margins of the upper and the insole, and lasting the toe, as by overwiping the upper, before the heated band of the box loses all its plas- October 12, 1937, Serial No. 168,596 Renewed July 20, 1938 ticity through disssipation of the heat. Although it has long been the practice to heat thermoplastic boxes immediately prior to toe-lasting, it is novel to trim them while they are being heated. By performing these two operations simultaneously, time is saved and the trimming operation is facilitated, since a cutter will operate much more readily on a thermoplastic box that is hot and soft than one one that is cold and hard.

Moreover, since the time devoted to heating and trimming the inner layers is utilized also to heat the toe-margin of the upper and. the corresponding margin of the insole, these margins, if coated immediately with latex cement, will accelerate a tacky condition of the latter with the result that if the toe is lasted before the plasticity of the box is gone the cement will be in a satisfactory condition.

A trimming machine organized according to the present invention as herein illustrated comprises heated members organized to engage the inner layers and the insole of a shoe before, during and after the actual time in which the trimming mechanism performs its function of severing a strip from the margin of the inner layers, and some of the heated members supply radiant heat to the outturned margin of the upper while heating the inner layers by conduction.

The illustrated trimming machine also embodies improved features of construction, operation and control designed to insure a certain predetermined relation between the plane of the insole and the line along which the cutter severs a strip from the margin of the inner layers of material.

For example, the work is located and maintained in a certain predetermined position by a jacking mechanism that also shifts the heated members to their operative positions, and this movement of the jackingmechanism is utilized to initiate the operation of a power-driven cutting mechanism that severs a strip progressively while the work remains stationary and in the embrace of the heated members.

Again, the cutting mechanism is organized to sever a strip from the margin of the inner layers of material with a series of draw cuts that progress simultaneously along both sides of the toe from a common starting point at the middle of the toe toward the heel end of the shoe.

Referring to the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a left-side elevation, partly broken away, of a combined heating and trimming machine organized according to the present invention;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view corresponding to Fig.

1 of the work-engaging members and adjacent parts;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of a series of similar heated members for engaging the work;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view of an operating co'nnection forming a part of a power-operated trimming or severing mechanism. the point of view corresponding to that of Fig. 1; g V

Fig. 8 is a top plan view of a pair of ring members which, when assembled, lie one on the other and support two relatively adjustable groups of heated members; 7

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a train of operating connections for shifting one of the two heated work-engaging members included in Fig. 11;

Fig. 10 is a perspective vieWof'anQther train of operating connections and includes a portion of the other heated work-engaging member shown in Fig. 11; h

Fig. 11 is a top plan view of two cooperative work-engaging members both of which are heated and designed to clamp and brace the margin of materials from which a strip is to be severed; and I I Fig. 12 is a sectional view of the toe portion of a shoe in process of being lasted after a strip has been severed from the inner layers including the lining and the toe-box.

The illustrated heating and trimming machine is intended to be located adjacent to a toe-lastingmachine and to be used by a toelasting operator to prepare the toes. of partially fabricated shoes for the toe-lasting operation. The shoes delivered to this operator will have been previously side lasted, preferably with staples l5, asshown in Figs. 2 and 4. At this stage, the lasting margin at the toe-end of the upper I6 is usually pulled over and temporarily secured to the insole i! by a single tack, not shown, which also extends through the corresponding margin of inner layers which usually include a lining, a toe-box, and a doubler. The description will proceed on the supposition that the toe-box is of the thermoplastic type and is interposed between the lining and the doubler and is bonded to both of the latter by the thermoplastic substance with which it is impregnated. Accordingly, these three elements; namely; lining, toe-box, and doubler are represented as one layer l8 in Fig. 12.

When the operator is ready to prepare a shoe for toe-lasting in accordance with the present invention, he will first pull out the toe-tack to release the pulled-over margins of the upper l6 and the inner layers l8 and will then turn out the margin of the upper to unmask the corresponding margin of the inner layers. Still holding the shoe in his hands, he will present it bottorn up to the under surface of an abutment provided by a member l9 (Figs. 4, 5, and 11) that remains at a constant level to be engaged by the insole l1 and to locate it at that level. As shown in Fig. 11, the configuration of the member l9 corresponds approximately to the configuration of the toe-end of the insole, and the perimeter of this member is therefore adapted to act with a plowing efiect to spread the projecting margin of the inner layers H? by engagement with the inner surface of the lining. Although the memher is has no movement up or down, it is mounted to have a short horizontal movement toward the toeend of the shoe after the insole has been placed against it, but this member is initially re- .tracted from a cooperative clamping member 2a to facilitate the insertion of the projecting margin of the inner layers between the members. In Fig. 5', the members !9 and 26 are represented as having been moved toward each other to locate and clamp the interposed margin of the inner layers 18, but it is to be understood that in their initial positions they are both retracted.

Having located the toe-end of the shoe as above described, and still supporting the shoe in his hands,the operator depresses a treadle 2! (Fig. 1)' from the position represented in dotted lines to that represented in solid lines. One result of depressing the treadle is to raise a jack-post 22 by which a toe-rest 23 (Fig. 5) is brought against the toe of the shoe to maintain the insole firmly against the member l9 throughout the period required to heat the parts of the shoe and to sever a strip from the projecting margins of the inner layers I8.

Another result of depressing the treadle is to shift the members l9 and 20 toward each other so that they will clamp a narrow band of the projecting margin from which a strip is to be severed and to bend that margin to an erect position. Still another result of depressing the treadle is to initiate the operation of a powerdriven cutting mechanism by which the strip will be severed while the aforesaid narrow band of the projecting margin is clamped and in the embrace of the members l9 and 26. The shoe remains stationary and firmly braced by the members I9 and 2B and by the toe-rest 23 while the heating operation and the severing operation are in progress, and when the severing operation has been completed, the operator'will release the treadle 2|, remove the shoe from the heating and trimming machine, coat the inner surface of the lasting margin of the upper l6 and the corresponding margin of the insole I! (both of which margins are now heated) with lasting cement such as latex, place the shoe immediately in the toe-lasting machine and perform the toelasting operation before the thermoplastic toebox included in the layers l8 has cooled sufficiently to lose its plasticity.

Referring to Fig. 5, the toe-rest 23 is affixed to the upper end of a tube 24 and the latter is arranged in the jack-post 23 which is also tubular. The tubes 22 and 24 are telescopically related and the latter is normally projected upwardly by a compression spring 25 that provides a cushioning effect to maintain the insole of the shoe against the member l9 with yielding force. A pin or key 26 driven tightly into the jack-post 22 projects into a vertical slot 21 in the tube 24 to prevent rotation of the toe-rest and to main tain the spring under initial compression. The lower end of the spring 25 is seated on a pin 28 carried by the jack-post. The jack-post is arranged to slide up and down in spaced bearings 29 in the main frame of the machine and is normally depressed by a compression spring 39. The lower end of this spring acts against a collar 3| aifixed to the jack-post while the upper end is seated against the upper bearing 29.

The mechanism for operating the jack-post comprises, in addition to the treadle 2|, a bellcrank lever 32, a link 33, a bell-crank lever 34, and an anti-friction roll 35 carried by the jackpost. The treadle and the bell-crank lever 32 are a unit and are connected to the main frame of the machine by a fulcrum pin 36. The bellcrank lever 34 is mounted on a rock shaft 31 and afiixed thereto, the rock shaft being journaled in the main frame. When the parts of this mechanism occupy their initial positions, the surface 38 of the lever 34 underlies the roll 35 and I is therefore effective to raise the jack-post as the 3A ui) should go.

treadle 2| is depressed, but the radial projection of the lever 34 is preferably limited to enable the free end of the lever to run past the roll after raising the latter to a predetermined level. This provision for overthrow of the lever 34 guards against excessive upward movement of thejack-post and the parts carried thereby and also guards against excessive stresses of those parts irrespective of the force with which the treadle is depressed. -A concentric surface 39 formed on the lever 34 is arranged to bear against the roll 35 during the overthrow movement of the lever and thereby maintain the jack-post at its highest position. i

The range of overthrow also provides for operation of a latch 40 by which the treadle may be maintained in its depressed positionwithout requiring continuous effort on the part of the operator. The latch is, carried by the treadle and is connected thereto by a pivot-pin 4|. The upper end of the latch is provided with a notch and is adapted to abut the rock shaft 31. A tension spring 42 connecting the treadle and the latch swings the latch into its operative position when the treadle has been depressed as far as it A pad 43 formed on the latch is arranged adjacent to the tread-plate of the treadle and may be depressed by the toe of the operators foot to retract the latch while the heel of the same foot bears on the tread-plate of the treadle to control the upward movement of the latter.

As before stated, one result of raising the jack post 22 is to move the member l9 horizontally toward the toe-end of the insole. For this purpose, the member I9 is carried by a horizontal machine frame.

bar 44 to which it is affixed in underslung relation by screws 45. The bar 44 has tongue-andgroove connection (see Fig. 2) with a supporting and guiding member 46 forming a part of the The train of connections for communicating movement from the jack-post 22 to the bar 44 comprises a bell-crank lever 41, a pair of similar pivoted links 48 (Fig. 9), a

pin-49 extending through both links, and an arm 50 aflixed by a set screw to a carrier 52 mounted on the jack-post. The bell-crank lever 41 is mounted on a stationary fulcrum pin 53 supported by a pair of hangers 54 formed on the guide member 46. A ball-andesocket connection 55 communicates motion from the bellcrank lever to the bar 44. The two links 48 sus pended from spaced arms of the bell-crank lever 41 are alike in efiect and construction, and they are spaced apart to receive between them the outer ends of the arm 50. The pin 49 is carried up and down Without lost motion by this arm through which it extends, both ends of the pin projecting therefrom and extending through vertical slots 55 in the links 48. These slots afford a range of lost motion between the pin 49 and the links 48, since the range of travel of the jacklength of travel of the member 19. The links are the pin 49 when the latter is descending. These screws are therefore instrumental in retracting the member l9 toward the heel-end of the shoe as the parts are returning to their initial positions, and the screws may be adjusted to regulate theextent of such retractory movement. In practice, a horizontal movement of about threequarters of an inch of the member 19 is usually sufficient.

The member 20 (Fig. 11) that cooperates with the member l9 to locate the margin of the inner layers l8 and to clamp and brace a narrow band of that margin is not only moved toward and from the member I9 but it also partakes of the up-and-down movements of the jack-post 22. For this purpose, the rear end of the member 20 is pivotally connected by a pin 58 to the upper end of a bell-crank lever 59 (see Fig. The fulcrum member of the bell-crank lever is the pin 49, a portion of the arm 50 being cut out to provide a space to receive this bell-crank lever. A link 60 suspended from the lever 59extends loosely through a hole in a stationary arm 6| affixed to the frame of the machine as by screws 62 that secure it to the upper bearing 29. The lower portion of the link 60 is provided with a screw-thread and nuts 63 above and below the arm 6|. These nuts afford a variable range of lost motion between the link and the arm and are also effective to oscillate the lever 59 in consequence ofmoving the jack-post up and down. When the parts are in their initial positions, the clamping member 20 is not only retracted to the rear but it also stands at a level about two inches below that of the member l9, but as the arm 50 rises with the jack-post, it elevates the lever 59 and the member 20, and when corresponding upward movement of the link 60 is arrested by the arm GI and the nut below it, the resultant effect of further upward movement of the arm 58 is to oscillate the lever 59 in a direction to shift the member 20 toward the member l9. This movement of the member 20 occurs simultaneously with the movement of the member 19 in the opposite direction and results in clamping the upstanding margin of the inner layers l8 as shown in Fig. 5. e

As shown in Fig. 11, the member 2!) is a plate formed to provide a U-shaped recess or clamping surface 64 which is a counterpart of the perimeter 65 of the member I9, and when these members, once accurately adjusted, are brought to their operative positions, as shown in Fig. 5, they erect the projecting margin of the inner layers I8 and maintain it in a certain shape and location while a strip is being severed therefrom. Both the members I9 and 20 are heated by means hereinafter described.

The carrier 52, by which the arm 50 is carried up and down, serves also to carry an electrically heated assemblage embodying certain features of improved construction hereinafter described. A portion of the carrier 52 is in the form of a sleeve and surrounds the jack-post 22. A collar 59 secured to the jack-post by a set-screw 61 supports the carrier 52 and provides for vertical adjustment thereof relative to the jack-post.

The members l9 and 20 and other parts to be described receive heat from a pair of metal blocks 68 (Figs. 1, 4, and 5) that undelie the member 20 and almost touch it. Much of the heat in these blocks passes by radiation to the member 20 and to the bar 44 which conducts a consider able amount to the member IS. The blocks 68 are provided with sockets and these sockets contain electric heating units 69. As shown in Fig. 4, the blocks are arranged side by side, one at the right and the other at the left of a vertical plane coincident with the longitudinal median plane of the forepart of a shoe. Each block is also provided with a series of kerfs 18 arranged fan-wise and containing individually movable heat-conducting members I, one in each kerf. The members H are all alike and one of them is shown individually in Fig. 6. A deep recess 12 is formed in each member H to receive the outturned margin of the upper l6 of a shoe and the top of this recess is bounded by an overhanging finger, the tip 13 of which is arranged to abut the margin of the inner layers l8 in the plane of the insole l1, as shown in Fig. 5. The upper edges of these overhanging fingers provide support for the workengaging margin of the member 20 which rests thereon and is heated to a high temperature by reason of its engagement with the fingers. The kerfs 18 extend from top to bottom of the blocks 68 and the members H are supported in the kerfs by horizontal plates 14 secured to the bottoms of the blocks and bridging the kerfs. Short stems 15 project downwardly from the lower edges of the members H and extend loosely through oversized holes in the plates 14. The members 'H are therefore free to rock on the supporting plates within certain limits while these plates and the stems l maintain them in the kerfs. When the members H are all assembled in their respective kerfs, their work-engaging extremities 13% all but touch each other and provide a vertically continuous but conformable band of contact of the heating structure with the work.

The members 'H are normally drawn toward a common center by a flexible metal cable 18 both ends of which are under constant stress of two compression springs 11 (Fig. 4) The intermediate portion of the cable extends around both groups of members (I and bears against their back edges 18. This portion of the cable extends through notches or grooves 19 that intersect the kerfs 18 (Fig. 5). The outlying portions of the cable 18 are led through eyes formed in upstanding brackets 80 and thence through the compression springs Tl and through collars 8i against which the springs exert their force to tension the cable. The collars are secured to the cable as by set-screws to provide for regulating the applied force of the springs. The brackets 88 are afiixed respectively to two supporting rings 82 and 83 hereinafter described.

The entire heating assemblage is mounted on and carried up and down by the carrier 52, but provision is made for adjusting the blocks 88 relatively to each other about a vertical axis virtually tangent to the meeting point of the two groups of heat-conducting members H at the middle of the toe-end of the shoe. For this purpose, the blocks are mounted on and aflixed respectively to the supporting rings 82 and :83 (Figs. 5 and 8). Two upright studs 84 extend through each block 68 and are screwed into the corresponding ring to provide rigid connections. When the parts are assembled, the ring 82 is seated on an annular ledge formed on the carrier 52, and the ring 83 is superposed on the ring 82. Both rings surround and bear on a cylindrical flange 85 formed on the carrier and are thereby maintained in concentric relation to the vertical axis above specified. The carrier 52 is constrained against all turning movement, and for this purpose it is provided with two horns 86 (Fig. 2)

that project, one to the right and the other to the left, beyond upright portions 81 of the main frame. The rear edges of these portions 81 are parallel with the axis of the jack-post 22 and they are engaged by the extremities of the horns 86 which may slide up and down on them.

The tension of the cable 18 normally draws the tips 13 of the heat-conducting members to positions from which they must be deflected by the toe portion of a shoe as the heating assemblage rises with the jack-post 22. Consequently, the upward movement of the members. ll, after the outturned margin of the upper [6 has been inserted into their recesses 12, causes an upwiping action of the tips 13 on the inner layers I8 Whereby these layers are tensioned and conformed to the toe portion of the last incidentally to the operation of raising the jack-post.

To provide for adjusting the blocks 68 and the fanned heat-conductingmembers H in accordance with the shapes of the toe-ends of shoes, the blocks are connected by a double-acting screw (Fig. 4) having a right-hand thread 88 and a left-hand thread 89. The threaded portions of the screw extend respectively through corresponding nuts 98 suspended from the blocks respectively and provided with cylindrical stems that bear in the blocks and provide swivel connections. The portion of the double-acting screw that-lies between the nuts 98 is provided with a circular flange 9i that projects into a kerf formed in an anchoring block 92 to prevent endwise movement of the screw and at the same time to permit rotation thereof. The block 92 is affixed to the arm 58 as shown in Fig. 5. One end of the screw is provided with a hand-wheel 93 by which it may be rotated to adjust the blocks 68 simultaneously in opposite directions about the axis of the supporting rings 82 and 83.

When the outturned margin of the upper I8 of a shoe projects into the recesses l2 (Fig. 6) of the heat-conducting members it receives radiant heat from these members and from the blocks 88, but to guard against excessive heat which might be detrimental to the upper, the cavity formed by the recesses '52 and by the adjacent portions of the blocks 88 may be provided with a heat-bafile comprising an outer layer 94 of sheet asbestos and a reinforcing inner layer 95 of flexible sheet metal. The opposite ends of the sheet metal 95 may be afiixed to the blocks 68 as shown in Fig. 4. This heat-bafile need not interfere with the movements of the members ll relative to the blocks 88 but may be arranged to project into the recesses 72 below the-outturned margin of the upper to protect those portions of the upper that will be exposed to view in the finished shoe, and even if the lasting allowance of the upper touches the overhanging fingers of the members H the upper will not suffer any serious damage because these points of contact will ultimately be concealed between the insole and the outsole of the shoe.

After the various heating, clamping, and conforming members are brought to their operative positions, as shown in Figs. 1, 4, and 5, that portion of the upstanding margin of the inner layers I8 that projects above the members i9 and 28 is severed by mechanism now to be described. The cutter Hill for severing a strip from this margin is a thin blade, long and narrow and of about the same dimensions as a common hack-saw blade, but instead of being provided with sawteeth, it is provided with a knife-edge and is reciprocated lengthwise of that edge with short rapid strokes to sever the strip with a series of I ing plate 20.

I near the tip-line of the shoe.

draw cuts. While the severing operation is in progress, the shoe remains stationary in a certain predetermined position established and maintained by the cooperative efiects of the insole abutment IS, the toe-rest 23 and the clamp- The cutting edge of the blade I first engages the work at the middle of the toe, as shown in Figs. 1 and 5, and while the blade is being reciprocated lengthwise of its cutting edge, that is, crosswise of the shoe, it also moves toward the heel-end of the shoe in an are that carries ,it upwardly, with the result that the severing of the strip begins midway between its ends and progresses simultaneously in opposite directions from the starting point and terminates at points As shown in Figs. 1 and 5, the upper surfaces of the members I 9 and 20 are curved in accordance with the arc in which the cutting blade progresses while passing through the work. The members I9 and 20 barely clear the blade and therefore brace the work firmly against lateral deflection, inside and out.

As shown in Fig. 2, the blade I00 is aflixed to the lower face of a pen-dulous carrier IOI of skeleton construction suspended from and fastened to a horizontal rock-shaft I02. The sliding bar 44 and a portion of its supporting structure 46 project through the space bounded by the carrier IOI, and the sidewise .dimension of this space is suflicient to provide for movement of the carrier from side to side without encountering interference. The rock-shaft I02 is arranged in bearings in the upright portions 81 of the main frame, and is operated not only to turn in its bearings but is also reciprocated lengthwise to carry the cutting blade lengthwise of its cutting edge. Rapid lengthwise reciprocation is imparted to the shaft by an electric motor I03 mounted onthe supporting structure 46 at the rear of the machine. The driven shaft I04 of the motor lies at right angles to the shaft I02 (see Fig. '7) and the two shafts are connected by members comprising a wrist-pin I 05, a wrist-pin block I 06, a grooved block I01, and two collars I08 both fastened to the shaft I02 and flanking the block I01 which, although mounted on the shaft I02 is not fastened thereto except through the confining effect of the collars I 08. The wrist-pin I05 is formed on a member I09 that-is secured to the motorshaft I04 by a set-screw II 0. The shape of the member I09 and the distribution of its weight 7 are designed to counterbalance the inertia of the mass that .derives its reciprocatory movement from the motor-shaft. to the end that this mass may be operated at high-speed without serious vibration. As the block I06 is carried around in a circular path by the wrist-pin I05, it imparts only its components of horizontal movement to the shaft I02.

The electrical circuit by which the motor I03 is energized-is initially open and is not closed until the jack-post 22 has been raised nearly, if not quite, to its highest position. For this purpose, the motor circuit is controlled by a switch contained in a switch-box III (Fig. 2). This switch-box is mounted on a convenient portion of the main frame such as one of the upright portions 81. An operating arm or lever II2 (Fig. 3) for opening and closing the motor-circuit projects from the rear of the switch-box to be raised by a member II3 that is carried up and down by it is raised'by the member I I3, as shown in'Fig. 3,

heel-end of a shoe, but the blade is initially retracted out of range of the work and is not released for operation until the jack-post 22 has been raised by the treadle 2I. One end of the spring I I5 is anchored to a portion 81 of the main frame while the other end of the spring is operatively engaged with a collar II6 pinned or otherwise fastened to the shaft. The alternate compression and extension of the spring due to the lengthwise reciprocation of the shaft I02 is of no effect and may be disregarded. The opposite end of the shaft I02 is provided with a two-armed lever pinned or otherwise fastened thereto. One arm H? of this lever is connected to some convenient member operated by the treadle 2I for the purpose of retracting the cutting blade to its initial position after it has severed a strip from the work. As shown in Fig. 1, the member for retracting the blade is an arm II8 affixed to the rock-shaft 31. Downward movement of the arm H8 is communicated to the arm III by a flexible cable H9, and the yoke or frame IOI is thereby retracted far enoughto remove the cutting blade I00 from the work-receiving locality and to raise the end I20 of the two-armed lever above the level of a shoulder I2I formed on a latching member I22. This member is mounted on the stationary frame structure to which it is connected by a pivot stud I23. A tension spring I24 maintains the member I22 initially in its latching position in which the shoulder I2I underlies the portion I20, but when the latching member is retracted it releases the lever I I1, I20, whereupon the torsion spring I I5 (Fig. 2) swings the cutting blade into operation. This release occurs as the jack-post 22 rises, and is effected by a striker I25 that lifts an arm I26 of the latching member. This release of the cutting blade occurs virtually at the same instant when the electrical circuit for operating the motor I03 is closed by the controls shown in Fig. 3.

Although the longitudinal reciprocatory motion of the cutting blade is derived from the motor I03, the penetrating force and movement of the blade are derived from the torsion-spring II5. This force is preferably not so great as to carry the blade through the work without the assistance derived from the lengthwise movement of the blade. Consequently, although the blade will be shifted quickly from its initial position to the position where it first encounters the material to be severed, its movement of penetration will be retarded by the material, and the retarding effect will be greatest at the beginning of the cutting operation because an interval of two or three seconds is necessary to heat the materials sufficiently to melt the thermoplastic substance with which the toe-box is impregnated. Once the thermoplastic substance is melted, the force of the spring II5 will accelerate the movement of penetration of the cutting blade, but whether the movement of penetration is slow or rapid, the longitudinal movements of the blade derived from the motor I03 will be executed at high speed.

The movement of the cutting blade toward the heel-end of the shoe is arrested by a shoulder I2! formed on the latching member I 22 and arranged to be engaged by the portion I20 of the twoarmed lever. This shoulder I2! is located at a point that will permit the cutting edge of the blade to run out of the materials l8 at points near the tip-line of the shoe but will prevent the blade from moving so far as to encounter the horizontal bar 44 that overhangs it. The striker I25 that trips the cutting mechanism may be carried by any convenient part that partakes of the movements of thejackpost 22, but, as shown in Fig. 1, it is aii'ixed to one of the blocks 68.

When the cutting blade has completed the operation of severing a strip, the operator will release the treadle 2! (Fig. 1) by depressing the pad 43 of the latching member 40 and will permit the treadle 2| to rise to its initial position. As the jack-post descends to release the shoe, the cable H9 will return the cutting blade to its initial position where it will be automatically caught by the shoulder 12 of the latching member 122, the circuit for operating the motor I03 having, in the meantime, been opened by the spring I I4 and the operating arm 2 (Fig. 3). V

While a shoe is undergoing the heating and trimming operations of the machinehereinbefore described, the out-turned margin of the upper I6 is heatedchiefly by radiant heat, the inner layers l8 are heated in some degree by radiant heat but in a greater degree by conduction from the members lll, zll and H, andthe toe portion of the insoleis moderately heated by conductiondue to its engagement with the member l9. After removing a shoe from this machine, but before the heatedparts of the shoe have lost any appreciable amount of their heat, the operator, to utilize the heatmost advantageously according to the present invention, will apply a coating of lasting cemer t, such as latex, to the inner surface of the lastingmargin of the upper l6 and to the corresponding margin of the insole. This may be done either by applying the cement with a brush or by discharging it under pressure from a nozzle of a spraying apparatus. a The heat in the insole and inthe margin of the upper will speed the evaporation of the moisture content of the cement and. thereby accelerate the development of a tacky condition in the cement thus applied. If desired, the shoe may be placed in a toe-lasting machine tFig lZ) priorto the operation of applying cement to "the insole and the lasting margin of the upper, but inany event, the shoe will be placed in a toe-lasting machine before the thermoplastic tioe-tbox loses plasticity through dissipation of ea H A toe-lasting machine of the type illustrated and described in United States Letters Patent No.

2,075,852, granted April 6, 1937, on an application in my namewill be suitable to perform the toe lasting operation in accordance with the method herein set forth. Such a machine is provided with a toe-rest I30 and with lasting wipers one of which is indicated at I3l. Having placed the shoe in a toe-lasting machine,the operator will cause the'wipers E3! to wipe the lasting margin of the upper I6 over and against the insole IT, and the overwiped margin of the upper will fold or bend the remaining narrow margin of the inner layers l8 over and against the insole while thethermoplastic toe-box contained therein is still in a' sufficiently plastic condition to be conformed readily tothe 'last'and'to the perimeter'of the insole. In the'meantime the heat retained in the insoleand in the lasting margin of the upper willj have rendered the lasting cement sufficiently tacky to insure 'a'satisfactor y bond of adhesion, whereby the margin of the upper will be perma margin of inner layers comprising a toe-box and a lining, and severing a strip from said margin of the inner layers with cuts that progress along both sides of the toe simultaneously from a common starting point at the middle of the toe toward the heel end of the shoe.

2. That improvement in methods of preparing the toe ends of shoes for lasting, which consists in turning out the toe margin of the upper of a partially fabricated shoe from the corresponding margin of inner layers comprising a toe-box and a lining, maintaining the inner layers against the top of the toe of the last with pressure applied thereto, and severing a strip from said margin of the inner layers with cuts that progress along both sides of the toe simultaneously from a common starting point at the middle of the toe toward the heel end of the'shoe.

3. That improvement in methods of preparing the toe ends of shoes for lasting, which consists in turning out the toe margin of the upper of a 7 partially fabricated shoe from the corresponding margin of inner layers comprising a toe-box and a lining, clamping a narrow band of the inner layers against the perimeter of the insole, and

severing a strip from said margin of the inner layers outside but close to said clamped band.

4. That improvement in methods'of preparing the toe ends of shoes for lasting which consists in turning out the toe margin of the upper away from the corresponding margin of inner layers, heating said margin of inner layers to soften a thermoplastic substance therein, and severing a strip from the latter said margin while it is being heated.

5. That improvement in methods of preparing the'toe ends of shoes for lasting, which consists in turning out the toe margin of the upper of a partially fabricated shoe from the corresponding margin of inner layers comprising a toe-box and a lining, heating and clamping a narrow band of the inner layers adjacent to, and virtually parallel with the plane of the insole, and severing a strip from said margin of the inner layers outside said band while it is clamped and heated. 6. That improvement in methods of preparing the toe ends of shoes for lasting, which consists in turning out the toe margin of the upper of a partially fabricated shoe from the corresponding margin of inner layers comprising a toe-box and a lining, clamping a narrow band of the inner layers adjacent to, and virtually parallel with the plane of the insole, and severing a' strip from said margin of the inner layers with cuts that progress along both sides of the toe from a common starting point at the middle of the toe toward the heel end of the shoe.

7. That improvement in methods of preparing the toe ends of shoes for lasting, which consists in turning out the toe margin of the upper of a partially fabricated shoe from the corresponding marginof inner layers comprising a toe-box and alining, clamping a narrow band of the inner layers adjacent to, and virtually parallel with the plane of the insole, and severing a strip from said margilrof' the inner layers with cuts 'that"'pron gress simultaneously in opposite directions from a common startingpoint at the middle of the toe and run out gradually to the edge of said margin at points adjacent to the tip line.

. 8. That improvement in methods of preparing and lasting the toe ends of shoes, which consists in turning out the toe margin of the upper of a partially fabricated shoe from the corresponding margin of inner layers comprising a toe-box and a lining, clamping a narrow band of the inner layers adjacent to, and virtually parallel with the plane of the insole, heating said band, severing a strip from said margin of the inner layers outside said band while the latter is clamped and heated, and lasting the toe by wiping said margin of the upper over the newly trimmed edge of the inner layers and against the face of the insole while said band of the inner layers is heated.

9. That improvement in methods of preparing the toe ends of shoes which consists in turning out the toe margin of the upper of a partially fabricated shoe from the corresponding margin of inner layers comprising a toe-box and a lining, supplying dry heat to the outturned margin of the upper and the corresponding margin of the insole and simultaneously severing a strip from said margin of the inner layers along a line adjacent to the insole, applying an adhesive to said margins of the upper and the insole while they are heated, and lasting the toe by wiping said margin of the upper over the newly trimmed edge of the inner layers and against the adhesive margin of the insole. I

10. That improvement in methods of preparing and lasting the toe ends of shoes, which consists in turning out the toe margin of the upper of a partially fabricated shoe from the corresponding margin of inner layers comprising a toe-box and a lining, pressing a narrow band of said margin of the inner layers against the perimeter of the insole and simultaneously supplying heat by conduction to said band and severing a strip from that margin adjacent to the insole but outside said band, and folding the newly trimmed edge of the inner layers over the edge of the insole while said narrow band is still heated by wiping said margin of the upper over and against the margin of the insole.

' 11. That improvement in methods of preparing and lasting the toe ends of shoes, which consists in turning out the toe margin of the upper of a partially fabricated shoe from the corresponding margin ofinner layers comprising a toe-box and a lining, conforming a narrow band of the inner layers to the perimeter of the insole and simultaneously supplying heat by conduction to said band and to the margin of the insole and by radiation to said margin of the upper, severing a strip from said margin of the inner layers while heat is being supplied as aforesaid, applying an adhesive to the margin of the insole and to said margin of the upper while they are heated, and lasting the toe While said narrow band is still heated by wiping said margin of the upper over and upon the margin of the insole.

12. That improvement in methods of making,

shoes which consists in. turning out the toe margin of the upper of a partially fabricated shoe, supplying dry heat to the insole and to said margin and simultaneously severing a strip from the corresponding margin of inner layers comprising a lining and a toe-box,-applying thin films of adhesive cement to the insole and to said 1 margin of the upper while it is heated, and lasting the toe by wiping said margin of the upper over and into contact with the insole.

13. A trimming machine comprising means arranged to maintain an unfastened toe margin of the upper of a partially fabricated shoe away from the corresponding margin of inner layers, heating means arranged to heat said corresponding margin to soften a thermoplastic substance therein, and cutting mechanism the cutting element of which is arranged to. sever a strip from said corresponding margin while the latter is in its operative relation to said heating means.

14. A trimming machine comprising clamping mechanism constructed and arranged to maintain the forepart of a partially fabricated shoe in a certain predetermined position, means arranged to maintain the toe margin of the upper outturned from the corresponding margin of inner layers comprising a lining and a toe-box, and power-operated cutting mechanism the cutting element of which is movable in a certain path to sever a strip from said corresponding margin with cuts that progress simultaneously in opposite directions from a common starting point at the middle of the toe and terminate at points near the tip line of the forepart.

15. A trimming machine as defined in claim 14 in which the cutting elementis a thin blade and is operated with high-speed movement crosswise of the shoe and with slow-speed movement toward the heel end of the shoe.

16. A trimming machine as defined in claim 14 in which said clamping mechanism includes cooperative members formed and arranged. to clamp a narrow band of said inner layers from which a strip is to be severed. I

17. A trimming machine as defined in claim 14 and comprising also means controlled by operating movement of an element of said clamping mechanism to initiate the operation of said cutting mechanism. 18. A trimming machine comprising an abutment formed and arranged to be engaged by the bottom face of the toe portion of an insole and having a perimeter corresponding to that of such toe portion, means arranged to cooperate with said perimeter of the abutment to clamp a narrow band of a margin of unlasted shoe materials projecting beyond the bottom face of the insole of a partially fabricated shoe, means arranged to cooperate with the sole-engaging face of said abutment to clamp the toe of the shoe heightwise, and cutting mechanism the cutting element of which is movable in a certain predetermined path to sever a strip from said margin while said band and the toe of the shoe are both clamped as aforesaid.

19. A trimming machine comprising cooperative members formed and arranged to erect and clamp a band of a toe margin of unlasted shoe materials adjacent to but projecting beyond the said clamping members, and means arranged to operate said cutter.

20. A trimming machine comprising a carrier supported and guided to be movable angularly about an axis and independently movable lengthwise of said axis, a cutting blade carried thereby and having a cutting edge virtually parallel with said axis, mechanism arranged to reciprocate said carrier lengthwise of said axis to impart a drawcutting motion to said blade, and means arranged to swing said carrier about said axis to give said blade a factor of penetration into work presented to said cutting edge.

21. A trimming machine comprising a bearing structure by which an axis isestablished, a carrier supported thereby, a cutting blade carried by said carrier and having a cutting edge virtually parallel with said axis, power-operated mechanism arranged to reciprocate said carrier lengthwise of said axis to operate said blade, and a spring arranged to swing said carrier about said axis in a direction to give said blade a factor of penetration into work presented to said cutting edge.

22. A trimming machine comprising a rockshaft arranged in virtually horizontal bearings, a pendulous carrier affixed thereto, a cutting blade secured to said carrier and having a cutting edge virtually parallel with the axis of said shaft, an abutment arranged to be engaged by the upturned bottom of the forepart of a partially fabricated shoe presented toe-foremost to said cutting edge, power-driven mechanism arranged to reciprocate said rock-shaft lengthwise to operate said cutting blade, a spring arranged to swing said carrier about said axisin a direction to give said cutting blade a factor of penetration into surplus material of the shoe projecting above the level of the insole, latching means by which said carrier is initially restrained against the force of said spring, and means for tripping said latching means to release said carrier.

23. A trimming machine comprising cooperative members formed and arranged to erect and clamp a band of a toe margin of unlasted shoe materials adjacent to but projecting beyond the bottom face of the insole of a partially fabricated shoe without masking an outer band of said margin, operating mechanism for imparting relative clamping movement to said members and to maintain them in a certain location at the termination of such relative movement, power-operated cutting means arranged to sever said outer band substantially flush with said ,clamping members, and means controlled by said operating mechanism to initiate the operation of said cutting means.

24. A trimming machine as defined in claim 23 comprising heating means by which one or more of said clamping members are heated suficiently to soften a band of a thermoplastic toe-box included in the margin clamped thereby.

25. A trimming machine comprising an abutment formed and arranged to be engaged by the bottom face of the toe portion of a partially fabricated shoe having an unlasted margin of materials projecting beyond said face, wiping means movable to and from the plane of the insole in contact with the outer surface of said materials, mechanism arranged to operate said wiping means to draw said materials against the toe of a last, clamping mechanism comprising a member arranged to cooperate with said abutment to clamp a narrow band of said margin contiguous to the perimeter of the insole, said member and said abutment having complemental U-shaped clamping surfaces to engage said margin, and cutting mechanism having a thin blade constrained to travel in a certain predetermined path to sever a strip from said margin.

26. A trimming machine as defined in claim 25 in which said wiping means comprises a series of individually yieldable work-engaging members and means by which they are normally maintained in positions to press a band of said materials against the perimeter of the insole.

27. A trimming machine as defined in claim 25 comprising also means arranged to heat said wiping means sufficiently to soften a band of a thermo-plastic toe-box included in the materials engaged thereby.

28. A trimming machine comprising a locating abutment having a surface maintained in a certain plane to be engaged by the bottom of the toe portion of the insole of a partially fabricated shoe, said abutment also having a convex perimeter to be engaged by a toe margin of unlasted shoe materials projecting beyond the bottom of the insole, a clamping member having an incurved surface providing a counterpart of said perimeter, operating mechanism arranged to impart relative movement to said abutment and said member to cause said perimeter and said incurved surface to clamp a band of said margin contiguous to the insole, and cutting mechanism the cutting element of which is constrained to travel in a certain predetermined path to sever a strip of said margin projecting beyond the band clamped as aforesaid.

29. A trimming machine as defined in claim 28 in which said cutting mechanism includes powerdriven means for operating the cutting element, and controlling means operable by said operating mechanism to initiate the operation of said cutting mechanism.

30. A trimming machine comprising a vertically movable toe-rest, operating mechanism for raising it, an abutment arranged to cooperate therewith to clamp the toe portion of an inverted shoe, the perimeter of said abutment being shaped to erect and brace an unlastedto'e margin of materials projecting above the insole, and cutting mechanism the cutting element of which is constrained to travel in a certain path to sever a strip from the materials braced by said abutment.

31. A trimming machine as defined in claim 30 comprising also means operable by said operating mechanism to press a band of said materials against the perimeter of said abutment adjacent to the path of said cutting element.

32. A trimming machine comprising an abutment arranged to be engaged by the forepart of the insole of an inverted partially fabricated shoe of which the toe is unlasted, means arranged to support the toe of the shoe and thereby maintain the insole against said abutment, a member provided with a U-shaped recess arranged to receive the toe end of the shoe, the perimeter of said abutment being a counterpart of said recess, means arranged to move said abutment laterally into said recess to clamp a lasting margin of the shoe against said recessed member, and powerdriven cutting means the cutting element of which is constrained to travel in a certain predetermined path to sever a strip of surplus material from the margin so clamped. V

BERNI-IARDT J ORGENSEN. 

